Chrysler could have gotten away with a mere face-lift for the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup. Instead, it provided a glimpse of the pickup of the future, a truck that combines workhorse capability with fuel efficiency.

Chrysler introduced its last full-size pickup, the Dodge Ram 1500, in 2008, just before the Great Recession froze the construction industry and Dodge pickup sales.

The auto industry fell down, and it looked like Chrysler might never get up as bankruptcy loomed and Cerberus Capital Management struggled vainly to sell the automaker.

Fiat took over in the spring of 2009, armed with U.S. and Canadian government assistance and a conviction it could save Chrysler by developing vehicles that surpass customers' expectations. An update of the 1500 pickup that went far beyond the usual midlife face-lift was one of the first projects on the agenda.

The Ram 1500 combines advanced new features with old-time pickup capability.

The Ram 1500 is the first non-hybrid pickup with auto-stop, which saves fuel by shutting the engine off when the truck is at a standstill.

Ram 1500s with the V6, eight-speed and auto-stop score an impressive EPA rating of 18 m.p.g. city, 25 highway and 21 combined. That EPA combined rating is 1 m.p.g. better than the highway rating for a V6 Toyota Tundra.

An optional air suspension adjusts to accommodate varying payloads and provides a smooth, comfortable ride. The frame -- the structure that's a pickup's backbone -- is nearly all new, with high-strength steel to save weight.

The interior features Chrysler's outstanding uConnect system, which combines simple, user-friendly controls with state-of-the-art voice-recognition to create a control system that outshines high-profile competitors.

Chrysler split its truck business from Dodge to create the Ram brand for a new line of tough and capable pickups and vans. The 1500 pickup is an auspicious start.

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Second place: Ford C-Max and C-Max Energi

The 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid grabs your attention with its 47 m.p.g. city/47 m.p.g. highway/47 m.p.g. combined EPA fuel economy ratings, but it has plenty of other appealing features. The attractive little crossover is a hybrid version of a compact minivan thatís popular in Europe but the C-Max is built in Wayne, alongside the Focus.

The crossoverís hybrid system provides good performance and shuts the engine off for zero-emission driving at up to 62 m.p.h.

The C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid can cover about 20 miles and hit 85 m.p.h. on battery power.

Third place: BMW X1

The sporty little 2012 BMW X1 is among the first players in what promises to be a hot new segment thatís likely to charm hundreds of thousands of buyers: subcompact crossovers.

Offering a 300-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine and with prices that start at $30,800 and can approach $50,000, the X1 stakes out the high ground in a segment that will soon include entries from Audi, Buick, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and more.

The X1ís combination of small size, a useful interior, high performance and high crossover sightlines set a high standard.